F 

1483 
15 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 

<• 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


INTERNATIONAL  BUREAU  OF  AMERICAN  REPUBLICS 

JOHN     BARRETT.     DIRECTOR 
FRANCISCO  J.  YAl^ES,  SECRETARY 


SALVADOR 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTIVE  DATA 

PREPARED  IN  JUNE 

1909 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
1909 


i 


INTERNATIONAL  BUREAU  OF  AMERICAN  REPUBLICS 


JOHN     BARRE1TT,     D  I  R  El  C  T  O  R 
FRANCISCO  J.  YANES,  SECRETARY 


SALVADOR 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTIVE  DATA 

PREPARED  IN  JUNE 

1909 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
1909 


0 

Bancroft  Librarjf 

il  II; 


SALVADOR, 


The  Republic  of  El  Salvador,  sometimes  erroneously  called  San 
Salvador,  the  name  of  its  capital,  is  the  smallest  of  the  21  American 
Republics.  It  is  the  only  one  of  the  Central  American  States  lying 
wholly  on  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  is  bordered  on  the  land  side  by 
Guatemala,  Honduras,  and  Nicaragua.  Salvador  has  an  area  of 
7,225  square  miles,  somewhat  less  than  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  and 
enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  most  densely  populated  country 
on  the  American  Continent,  with  1,707,000  inhabitants,  or  236  per 
square  mile,  which  is  more  than  ten  times  the  population  per  square 
mile  of  the  United  States  of  America  (23.2),  and  nearly  equal  to 
that  of  Italy. 

Two  mountain  chains  cross  the  .country  almost  in  its  entire  length, 
sending  out  numerous  spurs  and  attaining  considerable  altitudes. 
Inclosed  by  these  ranges  are  numerous  valleys,  among  which  that  of 
the  River  Lempa  is  the  most  important.  Coffee,  cacao,  tobacco,  in- 
digo, india  rubber,  and  the  so-called  "  Peruvian  balsam,"  the  product 
of  the  Myroxylon  pereirce,  are  the  most  important  products.  Gold 
and  silver  are  at  present  the  only  mineral  products  exported. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH. 

When  Cortez  had  completed  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  he  dispatched 
his  lieutenants  in  all  directions  to  explore  the  country  to  the  south 
and  bring  it  under  the  Spanish  domain.  To  PEDRO  ALVARADO  fell 
the  task  of  exploring  what  is  now  the  Republic  of  Salvador,  and  in 
the  year  1524  he  invaded  the  country,  defeated  the  natives,  and  early 
in  the  year  1525  captured  their  capital,  Cuscatlan.  Salvador  then 
became  a  part  of  the  captain-generalcy  of  Guatemala  and  later  of  the 
vice-royalty  of  Mexico.  It  was  governed  by  the  Spanish  authorities 
residing  in  Guatemala  City. 

Although  Salvador  suffered  less  from  Spanish  rule  than  some  of 
the  other  countries,  being  farther  removed  from  the  central  seat  of 
authority,  it  nevertheless  gladly  adhered  to  the  movement  for  inde- 
pendence, which  had  been  initiated  in  Guatemala  on  September  15. 
1821,  and  joined  the  Central  American  Federation.  When  the  fed- 
eration was  incorporated  into  the  Mexican  Empire,  in  the  year  fol- 


4  SALVADOR. 

lowing,  Salvador  protested  vehemently  against  this  annexation,  and 
a  resolution  was  adopted  by  which  the  people  declared  themselves  in 
favor  of  annexation  to  the  United  States  rather  than  to  Mexico.  On 
the  fall  of  ITURBIDE'S  short-lived  empire  in  1822,  Salvador  became 
once  more  a  State  of  the  Central  American  Federation. 

A  constituent  congress  adopted  a  constitution  on  November  22, 
1824.  In  1839  the  Central  American  Federation  was  dissolved,  but 
it  was  not  until  the  year  1841  that  Salvador  formally  withdrew,  and 
on  February  18  of  that  year  declared  its  independence  and  separa- 
tion from  the  federation.  The  various  efforts  to  reestablish  the 
union  which  have  been  made  from  time  to  time  have  not  been 
successful. 

Gen.  FERNANDO  FIGUEROA  was  inaugurated  as  President  of  the 
Republic  on  March  1,  1907,  for  four  years. 

CONSTITUTION  AND  GOVERNMENT. 

The  constitution  of  Salvador  now  in  force  was  promulgated  on 
August  13,  1886. 

The  legislative  power  is  vested  in  the  National  Assembly,  composed 
of  one  chamber,  called  the  National  Assembly  of  Deputies.  It  has 
42  members,  3  deputies  being  elected  for  each  Department  by  direct 
popular  vote  for  a  term  of  one  year.  Every  citizen  over  18  years  of 
age  is  not  only  entitled  but  obliged  to  vote. 

The  President  and  Vice-President  of  the  Republic  are  elected  by 
popular  vote  for  a  term  of  four  years.  A  Cabinet  of  four  Ministers 
or  Secretaries  assists  the  President  in  the  administration  of  the  affairs 
of  the  country.  Its  members  are  appointed  by  the  President,  but  are 
also  responsible  to  the  National  Assembly. 

The  judiciary  of  the  country  is  composed  of  a  National  Supreme 
Court,  several  courts  of  first  and  second  instance,  and  a  number  of 
minor  courts.  The  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  are  elected  by  the 
National  Assembly  for  a  term  of  two  years  and  the  judges  of  the 
first  and  second  instance  are  appointed  by  the  Supreme  Court  for  a 
term  of  two  years.  The  justices  of  the  minor  courts  are  elected  by 
popular  vote. 

INTERIOR   GOVERNMENT. 

The  Republic  is  divided  politically  into  14  Departments,  sub- 
divided into  districts,  and  these  into  towns  and  municipalities.  The 
governors  of  the  Departments  are  appointed  by  the  President  for  a 
term  of  four  years,  as  are  also  the  executive  chiefs  of  the  districts. 
The  mayors  and  municipal  councils  of  the  cities  are  elected  by  direct 
vote. 


SALVADOB.  5 

The  Departments  of  El  Salvador  and  their  respective  capitals  are : 

Capital. 

San  Salvador—  San  Salvador  (also  the  capital  of  the  Republic). 

La  Libertad Santa  Tecla. 

Sonsonate Sonsonate. 

Ahuachapan Ahuachapan. 

Santa  Ana Santa  Ana. 

Chalatenango.: Chalatenango. 

Cuscatlan Cojutepeque. 

Cabanas Sensuntepeque. 

San  Vincente San  Vicente. 

La  Paz Zacatecoluca. 

Usulutan Usulutan. 

San  Miguel San  Miguel. 

Morazan San  Francisco. 

La  Union La  Union. 

President Gen.  FERNANDO  FIGUEROA. 

Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  and  Justice. _Dr.  SALVADOR  RODRIGUEZ  G. 
Minister    of    the    Treasury    and    Public 

Credit Senor    D.    MANUEL    LOPEZ    MENCIA, 

pro  tern. 
Minister    of    Public    Instruction,    Public 

Works,  and  Government Dr.  NICOLAS  ANGULO. 

Minister  of  War  and  Marine Dr.    EUSEBIO    BRACAMONTE,    Assistant 

Secretary. 

The  salary  of  the  President  is  $9,600  per  annum. 


SALVADOR  IN  1908. 

Gen.  FERNANDO  FIGUEROA,  President  of  the  Republic  of  Salvador, 
in  his  message  to  the  Congress,  delivered  on  February  20,  1909,  spoke 
of  the  period  of  evolution  through  which  the 
Republic  was  passing,  stating  that  the  Govern- 
ment had  done  its  best  to  enable  the  country 
to  enlarge  its  agricultural  resources,  increase 
the  volume  of  its  commerce,  develop  its  arts 
and  sciences,  improve  the  customs  and  culture 
of  its  people,  strengthen  the  good  name  of  the 
nation  abroad,  and  insure  international  and 
domestic  justice  in  the  affairs  of  the  Republic. 
The  results  have  been  most  gratifying. 

The  published  returns  of  the  trade  for  the 
year  1908  recorded  an  increase  in  total  valua-       SR.  GENERAL  FERNANDO 

.  .    -  PRESIDENT  OF  SALV. 

tions  amounting  to  $500,000  as  compared  with 

the  preceding  year,  the  balance  in  favor  of  the  Republic  being  over 
$1,000,000.  With  the  improvement  of  communication  facilities  with 
the  United  States  a  still  further  increase  in  the  volume  of  commerce 
between  the  two  countries  is  looked  for. 


6  SALVADOK. 

FOREIGN    AFFAIRS. 

The  relations  of  Salvador  with  the  countries  of  Europe  and 
America  continue  to  be  friendly  and  amicable,  those  with  the  United 
States  being  still  further  strengthened  during  the  year  by  a  Conven- 
tion of  Arbitration  approved  by  the  National  Assembly  of  the  Re- 
public on  May  1,  1909.  Salvador  participated  in  the  Fifth  Pan- 
American  Medical  Congress,  which  met  in  the  neighboring  Republic 
of  Guatemala,  early  in  1908,  in  the  inauguration  of  the  Central 
American  International  Bureau  in  the  city  of  Guatemala,  on  Septem- 
ber 15,  1908,  and  in  the  opening  of  the  Central  American  Court  of 
Justice  at  Cartago,  Costa  Rica.  Delegates  were  also  sent  to  the  First 
Central  American  Conference  which  met  at  the  capital  of  Honduras 
on  January  1,  1909.  The  next  meeting  of  this  body  is  fixed  for 
January  1,  1910,  at  San  Salvador. 

On  July  13,  1908,  the  Republic  ratified  all  of  the  conventions  of 
the  Third  Pan-American  Conference,  and  on  July  20  of  the  same  year 
signed  a  naturalization  treaty  with  the  United  States. 

Foreign  trade  relations  were  strengthened  by  a  commercial  treaty 
with  Germany  concluded  in  April,  1908,  the  contracting  parties  agree- 
ing to  a  most-favored-nation  clause  with  reference  to  commercial, 
maritime,  and  consular  matters. 

The  adherence  of  the  Republic  to  the  Universal  Postal  Union  of 
Rome,  May  26,  1906,  was  announced  by  decree  dated  May  22.  1908. 

FINANCE. 

The  financial  condition  of  the  country  is  very  satisfactory,  the 
credit  of  the  nation  at  home  and  abroad  having  been  strengthened  by 
a  judicious  disbursement  of  the  public  funds.  The  debt  of  the  Re- 
public at  the  close  of  1908  was  reported  as  $11,283,185,  while  the 
revenues  for  the  year  amounted  to  $4,003,626,  showing  an  increase 
over  the  year  1907  of  $752,861.  As  a  result  of  the  conservative  ad- 
ministration of  1908  the  Republic  was  enabled  to  enter  upon  the  year 
1909  with  a  credit  balance  of  $208,981.  The  budget  law  for  the  year 
1908-9  estimates  receipts  at  $6,799,200  and  disbursements  at  $6,865,711. 
Estimated  receipts  are  classified  as  follows:  Imports,  $930,000;  ex- 
ports, $717,862.  Internal  taxes:  Liquors,  $937,500;  stamps,  $86,250; 
miscellaneous,  $246,750;  and  proceeds  of  the  £1,000,000  loan  at  75  per 
cent  are  placed  at  $3,375,000. 

A  decree  of  April  7,  1908,  imposed  a  tax  of  one-half  of  1  per  cent 
on  all  sales  of  real  estate  in  the  Republic,  the  proceeds  to  be  devoted 
to  the  construction  of  public  works  in  accordance  with  the  judgment 
of  the  departmental  governors  and  the  Executive. 


SALVADOE.  7 

COMMERCE. 

In  its  foreign  commerce  for  the  year  1908  Salvador  enjoyed  a 
period  of  prosperity,  the  total  trade  values  reported  amounting  to 
$10,028,237.48,  of  which  imports  figured  for  $4,240,580.21  and  ex- 
ports for  $5,787,677.34,  an  increase  in  trade  of  over  $500,000  as  com- 
pared with  1907,  when  imports  amounted  to  $3,440,721.23  and  exports 
to  $6,065,383.88. 

The  leading  countries  of  origin  for  imports,  in  the  order  of  their 
importance,  were  Great  Britain,  United  States,  Germany,  France, 
Italy,  Belgium,  and  Honduras;  the  principal  articles  being  cotton 
manufactured  goods,  hardware,  flour,  drugs  and  medicines,  boots  and 
shoes,  silk  fabrics,  and  woolen  goods. 

The  countries  of  destination  of  the  exports  from  the  Kepublic  dur- 
ing the  year  were:  United  States,  $1,984,000;  Germany,  $993,221; 
France,  $971,813;  Great  Britain,  $429,003;  Italy,  $243,762;  and  Aus- 
tria, $211,917.  Of  the  coffee  exported  from  the  country,  France  takes 
something  over  37  per  cent;  the  United  States,  18  per  cent;  Germany, 
15  per  cent ;  followed  by  Italy,  Great  Britain,  Austria,  and  Spain  in 
diminishing  ratios. 

Exports  in  the  order  of  their  importance  were:  Coffee,  55,215,110 
pounds,  $3,899,430;  minerals,  66,068  pounds,  $1,235,831;  sugar,  7,042,- 
178  pounds,  $251,076.75 ;  indigo,  421,350  pounds,  $197,036.11 ;  balsam, 
143,678  pounds,  $77,473.86;  other  items  shipped  were  hides,  tobacco, 
rubber,  and  rice,  aggregating  3,927,708  pounds,  worth  $338,200. 
Shipments  to  the  United  States  for  the  year  amounted  to  $1,984,000, 
showing  a  slight  decrease  as  compared  with  1907,  when  they  amounted 
to  $2,018,459.  For  the  same  period  the  United  States  reports  ship- 
ments to  Salvador  amounting  to  $1,404,573,  as  compared  with 
$1,592,473  in  1907. 

The  shipments  to  the  United  States  were  made  up  in  part  as  fol- 
lows :  Gold  bullion,  $822,181 ;  coffee,  $719,455 ;  gold  and  silver,  $387,- 
902;  sugar,  $26,680;  rubber,  $10,595;  indigo  and  hides  about  $10,000; 
and  other  articles  in  lesser  valuations.  Substantial  gains  were  noted 
in  shipments  of  gold  and  silver  bullion,  rubber,  sugar,  and  indigo; 
balsam,  copper,  and  miscellaneous  items  remaining  stationary;  while 
in  hides  and  lead  there  was  a  considerable  decline.  As  the  develop- 
ment of  the  mining  resources  of  the  country  increases,  larger  ship- 
ments of  gold  and  silver  bullion  will  undoubtedly  be  made  to  the 
United  States.  The  coffee  of  the  country  has  always  found  its  best 
market  in  Europe. 

PRODUCTION    AND   INDUSTRIES. 

The  interests  of  the  country  are  essentially  agricultural,  the  prin- 
cipal crop  being  coffee,  of  which  the  annual  output  amounts  to  37,500 


8  SALVADOR. 

tons,  valued  at  approximately  $5,000,000.  A  number  of  articles  are 
cultivated  more  or  less  extensively,  among  them  cacao,  rubber,  balsam, 
sugar,  indigo,  tobacco,  and  bananas.  Formerly  cotton  ranked  as  a 
crop  of  importance  among  the  agricultural  products  of  the  Kepublic, 
about  $700,000  of  this  staple  being  exported,  but  shipments  have 
gradually  declined,  the  crop  yielding  in  importance  first  to  indigo 
and  later  to  coffee.  The  forests  of  the  Republic  contain  cabinet  and 
hard  woods  of  different  grades  and  qualities,  mahogany,  cedar,  mul- 
berry, ironwood,  walnut,  and  laurel;  also  dyewoods,  barks,  balsams, 
gums,  and  resins.  Among  the  textile  fibers  produced  are  henequen, 
ramie,  escobilla,  cocoanut,  and  capulin. 

Mining  is  a  profitable  branch  of  enterprise  conducted  to  some 
extent  in  different  sections.  Numerous  valuable  deposits  of  copper, 
iron,  lead,  gold,  and  silver  are  being  exploited,  while  other  minerals 
have  been  located  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The  richest 
mineral  section  of  the  Kepublic  is  the  Department  of  Santa  Ana, 
where  numerous  veins  of  iron,  copper,  lead,  gold,  and  silver  ores  are 
known  to  exist,  particularly  lead  and  copper.  Smelters  in  the  district 
are  few  and  the  methods  employed  for  treating  the  ore  antiquated. 

Of  the  gold-mining  properties  the  San  Sebastian,  owned  by  an 
English  company  and  situated  in  La  Union,  is  reputed  to  be  the 
richest.  The  Tabanco  mine,  the  property  of  a  French  syndicate,  the 
San  Bartolo,  Eva,  and  Copetillo,  the  latter  properties  being  OAvned 
by  American  interests,  also  produce  a  high  grade  of  ore.  The  San 
Miguel  district  contains  several  mines  producing  ore  of  high  grade. 

The  manufacturing  industries,  though  of  less  importance,  have  at- 
tained a  degree  of  progress  in  the  following  articles :  Fiber  ropes  and 
hammocks,  cigars  and  cigarettes  made  of  native  tobacco,  palm-leaf 
mats  and  hats,  saddlery,  confectionery,  and  dairy  products.  The 
manufacture  of  textiles  is  successfully  conducted,  the  value  of  the 
cotton  and  silk  tissues  made  in  the  country  amounting  to  about 
$80,000  per  year.  The  cotton  thread  employed  in  the  elaboration  of 
the  product  comes  principally  from  England.  Forge  iron,  furniture, 
boots  and  shoes,  and  tanned  leather  are  also  manufactured  to  some 
extent. 

Cattle  and  horses  are  bred  with  profit,  especially  near  the  seacoast. 

COMMUNICATION. 

Progress  in  railway  construction  during  the  year  in  the  Republic 
was  satisfactory,  new  lines  being  undertaken  and  negotiations  entered 
into  with  a  view  to  still  further  increasing  the  existing  mileage  of 
the  country.  The  present  railway  system  in  operation  is  about  100 
miles  in  extent  and  includes  a  line  from  the  capital  to  the  port  of 
Acajutla  with  branch  connection  to  the  city  of  Santa  Ana,  while 


SALVADOR.  9 

another  line  runs  from  the  capital  to  Santa  Tecla.  Work  on  the 
road  between  Santa  Ana  and  the  Guatemalan  frontier  has  been  con- 
tracted for  and  negotiations  are  in  progress  looking  to  the  construc- 
tion of  a  line  from  the  capital  to  San  Miguel  and  La  Union.  The 
importance  of  this  contract  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  covers  the  section 
of  the  Pan- American  line  belonging  to  Salvador,  as  defined  in  the 
convention  signed  in  Washington  on  December  20,  1907,  on  the 
occasion  of  the  Central  American  Peace  Conference.  The  road  leav- 
ing the  port  of  La  Union  will  connect  with  the  cities  of  Usulutan,  San 
Vicente,  and  Cojutepec,  and,  uniting  with  the  line  already  built 
between  the  capital  and  Santa  Ana,  proceed  to  the  Guatemalan 
frontier  to  make  connection  with  the  Atlantic  railway  of  that  country 
recently  inaugurated.  Government  aid  is  guaranteed  in  the  building 
of  the  line  and  free  entry  for  material  needed  in  construction  granted. 

Other  contemplated  extensions  include  a  line  from  Santa  Ana  to 
Ahuachapan  via  Chalchuapa  and  Atiquizaya,  and  a  union  of  the  Cen- 
tral Railway  of  Salvador  with  the  Northern  Guatemala.  The  former 
carries  a  subsidy  of  $10,000  per  annum  for  the  life  of  the  grant,  which 
is  thirty-five  years,  and  the  latter  offers  an  advantageous  connection, 
in  that  it  would  greatly  stimulate  the  mining  industry  in  the  entire 
western  section  of  the  Republic. 

The  Republic  of  Salvador  is  accessible  by  water  only  from  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  its  ports  being  La  Union,  Espiritu  Santo,  La  Con- 
cordia,  La  Libertad,  and  Acajutla,  of  which  La  Union  is  the  most 
important  and  the  commercial  center  of  the  Republic.  La  Libertad 
and  Acajutla  are  the  remaining  two  ports  at  which  ocean-going  ves- 
sels call,  the  other  ports  being  used  for  the  coastwise  trade  only. 

The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company  and  the  Kosmos  Line  call 
regularly  at  the  three  ports  mentioned,  employing  from  nineteen  to 
twenty-one  days  in  the  trip  from  San  Francisco,  from  which  port 
they  sail  regularly  every  ten  days,  first-class  passage  being  $100  to 
any  one  of  these  ports.  The  capital  of  the  Republic,  San  Salvador, 
can  best  be  reached  by  rail  from  the  port  of  Acjutla. 

Among  the  numerous  rivers  of  Salvador  the  most  important  are  the 
Lempa,  the  Paza,  and  the  San  Miguel,  the  first  mentioned  flowing 
through  the  entire  territory  of  the  Republic,  but  all  navigable  only 
for  small  craft. 

A  number  of  picturesque  lakes  are  in  the  country,  Lake  Guijar, 
the  largest,  being  15  miles  long  and  5  miles  wide.  Lake  Ilopango  is 
9  miles  long  and  3  miles  wide.  All  are  navigable  for  small  vessels  of 
light  draft. 

Along  the  coast  are  a  number  of  islands  which  belong  to  the  Repub- 
lic, viz,  Punta  Zacate,  Conchaguita,  Meanguera,  Martin  Perez,  Perico 
Chuchito,  Conejo,  Irca,  and  Meanguerita,  most  of  these  being  located 


10  SALVADOR. 

in  the  Gulf  of  Fonseca.  The  largest  of  these  is  Punta  Zacate,  30  miles 
in  length. 

A  new  tramway  line  has  been  opened  to  traffic  in  the  capital  of  the 
Republic. 

Internal  improvements  have  also  occupied  the  attention  of  the  Gov- 
ernment. To  the  2,000  miles  of  highroads  already  in  existence  new 


THE  IZALCO  VOLCANO  NEAR  SAN  SALVADOR,  SALVADOR. 

This  volcano  is  almost  continuously  active.  In  1798  it  rose  out  of  the  plain  and  gradually  attained 
an  elevation  of  about  6,000  feet.  Is  sometimes  called  the  "Safety  valve  of  Salvador,"  also  the 
"  Light-house  of  Salvador." 

roads  have  been  added  and  repairs  made,  bridges  built  and  repaired 
and  new  construction  projected;  public  buildings  have  been  inspected 
and  repaired ;  the  schools  of  the  country  reorganized ;  modern  methods 
of  instruction  introduced,  and  modern  sanitary  laws  promulgated 
throughout  the  Republic. 


SALVADOR.  11 

The  postal  service'  of  the  Republic  is  satisfactorily  administered, 
the  post-offices  being  graded  according  to  the  population  of  the  dif- 
ferent cities.  Offices  of  the  first  class  are  Santa  Ana,  San  Miguel, 
Sonsonate,  Santa  Tecla,  Cojutepeque,  and  San  Vicente.  The  latest 
figures  available  showed  that  at  the  beginning  of  1907  there  were  82 
post-offices  in  the  Republic  and  200  telegraph  offices,  operating  2,400 
miles  of  wire,  over  which  1,039,778  telegrams  were  sent.  The  tele- 
phone system  represented  100  stations  and  1,924  miles  of  line. 

O 


